JUNIOR medics have threatened “immensely disruptive” co-ordinated industrial action with consultants.

Their union the British Medical Association (BMA) is balloting resident doctors — formerly known as junior doctors — in England for strike action after the government offered a 5.4 per cent average pay rise.

Consultants and specialty & associate specialist (SAS) doctors are also in pay disputes with the government.

The threat of co-ordinated action comes after Health Secretary Wes Streeting urged resident doctors to vote against striking.

Resident doctors’ pay has declined by 23 per cent in real terms since 2008, they have pointed out.

The co-chairs of the BMA’s resident doctors’ committee are calling on members to vote for strikes to secure their long-running demands for pay restoration.

Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt told the Sunday Times that future industrial action could be co-ordinated across those groups.

Dr Ryan, who works in Nottingham, said: “Last time we ended up co-ordinating some action and it was immensely disruptive for patient care — and we can see that on the horizon for this government too.

“We will have a mandate that runs from the end of July to the beginning of January 2026.

“I am hoping that we will never get to the point where we have to take strike action but … we have three grades of doctors that are in pay disputes with the government and there could be terrible disruption if the government doesn’t intervene soon.”

Dr Nieuwoudt, a resident doctor in Liverpool, said that Mr Streeting “seems to have gone from being the guy that was saying: ‘Get in the room; talk it out; solve the problem,’ to the guy that’s not even willing to have that conversation with us.”

Today, the Health Secretary said on social media that he had met resident doctors twice in May and offered to meet their entire committee, arguing that receiving “the highest public-sector pay offer” did not warrant strike action.

The government accepted salary recommendations from pay review bodies earlier this month resulting in the 5.4 per cent rise.

According to YouGov polling, 48 per cent of the public oppose resident doctors going on strike, while 39 per cent back them.

The Patients Association said that it was deeply concerned about the prospect of strike action in the NHS over the busy winter period.

The BMA ballot will close on July 7.

Keep Our NHS Public co-chair Dr Tony O'Sullivan said: “The government must move faster towards fair pay restoration in the NHS, and away from outsourcing and investment in the private sector and slashing NHS jobs.

"The only way Wes Streeting will resolve NHS waiting lists and ending the loss of over 16,000 avoidable deaths in emergency care is through rebuilding the trust of NHS staff and the services they. provide.  

"If this government fails to rebuild the NHS and our publicly provided services, Labour will bear responsibility for losing tens of thousands of doctors and nurses and outsourcing thousands more.

"It will have failed the NHS and will lose all popular support, just as Reform, camped ready to destroy the NHS, is promising to end our publicly funded national health service for good."